CANADA EAST GETS SILVER AT 2022 WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE
CORNWALL, Ont. – Canada East – with 14 Ontario Junior Hockey League players on the roster – finished with the silver medal at the 2022 World Junior A Challenge, falling 5-2 to the United States in the gold medal game on Sunday night at the Cornwall Civic Complex.
The United States took a 2-0 lead into the second frame when Matheson Mason (Newmarket, Ont./Wellington, OJHL) and Matthew Cato (Whitby, Ont./Trenton, OJHL) scored to bring Canada East even. The U.S. stormed back with two goals in 47 seconds late in the middle frame and added an empty-net goal to earn its ninth World Junior A Challenge gold medal.
Wellington Dukes goalie Ethan Morrow was outstanding in the Canada East net, facing 41 shots and earning high praise from the TSN broadcaster Craig Button.
“We were in over our head a little bit; we knew we had to muddy the water, keep pucks to the outside and defend well. When we climbed back into the game and then had a bad line change, they got the momentum back,” said Canada East head coach Billy McGuigan (Summerside, P.E.I./Summerside, MHL). “The experience overall, the friendships and the opportunity to represent your country are the things our guys should take away from this tournament.”
OJHL players on Canada East were:
|
Ryan Johnstone |
Pickering (OJHL) |
|
Matheson Mason |
Wellington (OJHL) |
|
Matthew Cato |
Trenton (OJHL) |
|
Lucas Buzziol |
Milton (OJHL) |
|
Patrick Saini |
Haliburton County (OJHL) |
|
Andy Reist |
Cobourg (OJHL) |
|
Giacomo Martino |
St. Michael’s (OJHL) |
|
Adam Barone |
Cobourg (OJHL) |
|
Nathaniel Davis |
Burlington (OJHL) |
|
Sawyer Prokopetz |
Markham (OJHL) |
|
Lucas Littlejohn |
Pickering (OJHL) |
|
Owen Forester |
Milton (OJHL) |
|
Chazz Nixon |
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (OJHL) |
|
Ethan Morrow |
Wellington (OJHL) |
Chris Vanstone, the OJHL’s director of hockey operations, was director of operations for Team Canada East.
OJHL head coaches Mark Jooris (Burlington) and Derek Smith (Wellington) served as assistant coaches on the Canada East bench. Also on the East staff from the OJHL were equipment manager Mike Aloe (Burlington Cougars) and athletic therapist Leah Toffelmire (Wellington Dukes).
“I cannot express how happy everyone was to play in the gold medal game. We worked hard as a group over the last two weeks to get here. Losing really sucked,” said Canada East captain Trent Crane (Morden, Man./Summerside, MHL). “Wearing the Canadian jersey meant everything to me, I will never forget it and always cherish these two weeks. I will think about this the rest of my life.”
In the bronze medal game earlier on Sunday, Canada West fell 3-2 in a shootout to Sweden.
Following the gold medal game, the tournament all-star team was announced:
F: Aiden Fink (Canada West)
F: Cole Knuble (United States)
F: Liam Watkins (Canada West)
D: Eric Pohlkamp (United States)
D: Tom Willander (Sweden)
G: Noah Erliden (Sweden)
Knuble was named the tournament’s most valuable player after recording three goals and nine points in six games.
Photo credit: Robert Lefebvre / Hockey Canada Images
